EC moves to identify multiple candidates contesting with same name in same area
The Election Commission (EC) has issued special directives to avoid voter confusion in cases where multiple candidates contesting in the same constituency share identical names in the 13th national polls slated for 12 February.
According to the directives, if two or more candidates contest from the same area with the same name, they will be identified by adding the name of their father, mother or spouse to the candidate list and ballot papers.
A letter, signed by Mohammad Monir Hossain, deputy secretary of the Election Management-2 Wing of the EC, was issued today and sent to divisional commissioners of Dhaka and Chattogram, as well as to all deputy commissioners and returning officers across the country.
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According to section 7(2) of the Conduct of Election Rules-2008, the list of contesting candidates (Form-5) must be prepared in alphabetical order. However, the commission noticed that the presence of multiple candidates with identical names in a single constituency.
To address this issue, the EC decided to accompany the candidate's name after their father, husband or mother in the candidate list. If required, the names may also be arranged sequentially based on the order of allocated electoral symbols.
Meanwhile, the EC has also issued fresh guidelines regarding the appointment of polling officials for the 13th national election and referendum. The new directive allows for the appointment of officials from neighbouring upazilas if there is a shortage of personnel in a particular upazila.
However, the EC has made it clear that all presiding officers of a specific constituency cannot be transferred randomly to another constituency.
This instruction was issued 5 January 5 and sent to relevant offices, including the Panchagarh Deputy Commissioner's office.
The move follows a letter sent from Panchagarh DC office seeking guidance on the matter 29 December.
Earlier, 15 December, the EC Secretariat had issued a primary guideline on the recruitment of polling officials, with the commission instructing to implement the decisions strictly following the guideline.
